Gran Turismo (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gran Turismo |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Neill Blomkamp |
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| Cinematography | Jacques Jouffret |
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| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| Release date(s) | July 30, 2023 (Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps) August 25, 2023 (United States) |
| Running time | 134 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $60 million |
| Money made | $22.6 million |
Gran Turismo (also known as Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story in some countries) is a 2023 American biographical sports drama film directed by Neill Blomkamp from a screenplay by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin. Produced by Columbia Pictures, PlayStation Productions, and 2.0 Entertainment, it is based on the racing simulation video game series of the same name developed by Polyphony Digital. It tells the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenage Gran Turismo player who was able to become a professional race car driver. The film stars Archie Madekwe as Mardenborough alongside David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Darren Barnet, Emelia Hartford, Geri Halliwell Horner, and Djimon Hounsou.
Development of a film based on Gran Turismo was revealed in July 2013, with Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti producing and a script by Alex Tse. Joseph Kosinski was set to direct the film in June 2015 from a new screenplay by Jon and Erich Hoeber. However, the Kosinski version was no longer moving forward as of February 2018. In May 2022, it was announced the film was again in development, with Blomkamp attached to direct it in June. The main cast were announced in September 2022, while other cast additions signed in November. Filming began in Hungary in the same month and wrapped in December. In post-production, the score, initially by Stephen Barton, was composed by Lorne Balfe and Andrew Kawczynski.
Gran Turismo premiered at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on July 30, 2023, and will be released in the United States on August 25, by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film received mixed reviews from critics.
Contents
Plot
Following a pitch by marketing executive Danny Moore, the motorsport division of Nissan establishes the GT Academy, to recruit skilled players of the racing simulator Gran Turismo and turn them into real racing drivers. Moore recruits former-driver-turned-mechanic Jack Salter to train the players. Salter is initially hesitant, but accepts after tiring of the arrogance of his team’s driver, Nicholas Capa. Meanwhile, Jann Mardenborough, a teenage retail employee and gamer from Cardiff, Wales, is an avid player of the simulator and wants to become a racing driver, despite the disapproval of his former footballer father.
One day, Jann learns he is eligible for a qualification race to join the GT Academy, after setting a time record for a particular track. The night before his race, Jann is invited by his brother Coby to a party, and the brothers take their father’s car. Jann flirts with a young woman called Audrey. The gathering is disbanded after police arrive, and Jann initiates a pursuit after driving away when their friends are pulled over. The brothers escape, but are caught returning by their father. Jann is taken to his father’s place of employment the next morning in an attempt to be taught a life lesson, but leaves early to partake in the qualifying race, which he wins, earning a place in GT Academy.
At the academy camp, Salter puts the competitors through their paces in a variety of tests, through which ten competitors are narrowed down to five. During a test, Jann crashes with Salter in the car, and claims the brakes were glazed, later proven correct by analysts to Salter’s surprise. The remaining five compete in a final race to determine who will represent Nissan. Jann narrowly wins the race against American competitor Matty Davis, but Moore insists Davis should be chosen as the representative due to his better commercial viability. However, Jann is chosen at Salter’s insistence.
Jann is told that if he finishes at least fourth in any one of a series of qualifying races, he will earn a professional licence and contract with Nissan. He finishes last in his first professional race after Capa taps him into a spin, and despite gradually improving over the next few races, does not finish the penultimate race. He travels to Dubai for his last qualifying race, during which Capa takes a corner too fast and crashes. Despite the debris from this crash cracking his windshield, Jann achieves a fourth place finish and earns his licence. He travels to Tokyo with Moore and Salter to sign his contract, and uses his signing bonus to fly his crush Audrey to Tokyo, during which time they initiate a relationship.
Jann’s first race after signing is at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. He starts the race well, and maintains a high position until the front of his car lifts into the air at the Flugplatz corner, hitting a barrier and launching into a crowded spectator area. Jann is hospitalized and informed that a spectator was killed. Reluctant to return to racing after the crash, Salter takes him back to the Nürburgring, during which he reveals he was involved in a fatal accident at 24 Hours of Le Mans, which led to his retirement from driving. An inquiry clears Jann of any wrongdoing, but professional sentiment begins to turn against sim drivers, in response to which Moore decides a sim driver team should compete at Le Mans, and finish on the podium to prove their viability.
Moore enlists Davis and fellow GT Academy participant Antonio Cruz to make up the three-driver team alongside Jann. On race day, Jann’s father apologises for not initially being supportive of his passions. Early in the race, Jann is left shaken after another competitor’s car crashes and catches fire, but is encouraged through his first shift by Salter playing "Songbird" and "Orinoco Flow" through the car's communication system, which Jann had previously used as motivational music during training. Davis and Cruz complete their first shifts without issue, but Cruz is brought in from his last session early due to experiencing cramps. A wheel nut breaks loose in the pit area, causing Jann to lose several positions. He deviates from advised racing lines to regain his positions, breaking the competition lap record in the process. The final lap sees Jann pitted against Capa, with Jann once again narrowly in front on the final straight to earn third place, and a podium finish for Nissan.
In the epilogue, the real Jann Mardenborough is shown having competed in over 200 races and served as his own stunt double in the film.
Cast
- Archie Madekwe as Jann Mardenborough, a young Gran Turismo player aspiring to become a professional racer.
- David Harbour as Jack Salter, Jann's trainer.
- Orlando Bloom as Danny Moore, a marketing executive at Nissan.
- Darren Barnet as Matty Davis, a top GT Academy driver and Jann's rival.
- Geri Halliwell as Lesley Mardenborough, Jann's mother.
- Djimon Hounsou as Steve Mardenborough, Jann's father.
- Takehiro Hira as Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator of Gran Turismo.
- Josha Stradowski as Nicholas Capa, a rival driver to Jann.
- Daniel Puig as Coby Mardenborough, Jann's brother.
- Maeve Courtier-Lilley as Audrey, Jann's love interest.
- Thomas Kretschmann as Patrice Capa, Nicholas' father
- Richard Cambridge as Felix
- Emelia Hartford as Leah Vega
- Pepe Barroso as Antonio Cruz
- Sang Heon Lee as Joo-Hwan Lee
- Max Mundt as Klaus Hoffman
- Mariano González as Henry Evas
- Harki Bhambra as Avi Bhatt
- Lindsay Pattison as Chloe McCormick
- Théo Christine as Marcel Durand
- Nikhil Parmar as Persol
Production
Development
In July 2013, it was announced that Sony Pictures was developing a Gran Turismo film with Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti producing it and a script by Alex Tse. In 2015, Joseph Kosinski was set to direct the film, with a new screenplay by Jon and Erich Hoeber. By 2018, the Kosinski version was no longer moving forward.
In May 2022, it was announced that a film adaptation of Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo video games was in early development at Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions. Shortly afterward, Neill Blomkamp was hired to direct a screenplay written by Jason Hall, and Sony set a release date of August 11, 2023. The lead roles were cast in September 2022 with David Harbour as a veteran race car driver who mentors Archie Madekwe as the teenage trainee, with the film being confirmed to also be a biographical film based on the story of Jann Mardenborough. Orlando Bloom was cast as a motorsport marketing executive and Darren Barnet as a threatened GT Academy racer. Additional cast additions were announced while filming in November included Djimon Hounsou, Geri Halliwell-Horner, Daniel Puig, Josha Stradowski, Thomas Kretschmann, Maeve Courtier-Lilley, Emelia Hartford, Pepe Barroso, and Sang Heon Lee. Max Mundt, Mariano González, Harki Bhambra, Lindsay Pattison, Théo Christine, and Nikhil Parmar were added to the cast in December 2022.
Filming
Filming began in Hungary in November, and wrapped in December 2022, with Jacques Jouffret serving as cinematographer. Jouffret took advantage of the Rialto extension/detachment system of Sony Venice 2 cameras in order to place sensors in tight locations of cars, away from the main camera body. Jann Mardenborough himself is a co-producer on the film and served as the racing stunt double for Madekwe, who portrayed him.
Music
In September 2022, it was reported that Stephen Barton would compose the score for the film. But on April 24, 2023, Lorne Balfe was announced to take over by scoring the film instead. The soundtrack album, also composed by Andrew Kawczynski, was released on August 11, 2023, the same day as the limited theatrical release.
Release
Gran Turismo premiered at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 30, 2023, following the Formula One 2023 Belgian Grand Prix. Gran Turismo's limited theatrical release began in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on August 11, 2023 and is set to expand to a wide release on August 25, 2023. It was originally scheduled for a wide release on August 11, but plans changed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Despite the delay in the United States, the film's release date remains unchanged in various international markets such as the United Kingdom, where the film was released on August 9, 2023.
An update to Gran Turismo 7 added a livery for the Nissan Nismo GT-R that was inspired by the film, and was given for free to all players who watched the movie trailer in-game.
